A window into applied science supported by INL

There is no better way to learn about something than by making them participate in a fun and entertaining way. Aimed at the gaming generations, the London Science Museum has developed “Nanoland: Big Adventures in a Small World” an exciting way to teach its players the basics of nanotechnology interactively.

The concept is simple. Duck Boy is exploring Nanoland. It’s a strange place where not all is what it seems. As he explores Nanoland he encounters a strange phenomenon, which causes everything to reduce in size to nano-scale, making the journey much more difficult! However, Nanotechnology is available to help Duck Boy solve the problems that he comes across.

Through Duck Boy’s ride, children and adults will get a better understanding about the differences between the macro-world and the nano-world as well as expand their knowledge base in nanotechnology and nanoscience concepts like Brownian motion or nano-research tools like electron microscopes.

What do you think about this game? Do you know any other interactive interactive programs about nanotechnology? What do you think the best way is to learn about Nanoscience? Write a comment and share it with the rest of Nanobugle’s Readers.

Aimed at the gaming generations, NanoMission™ is an engaging learning experience which educates players about basic concepts in nanoscience through real world practical applications from microelectronics to drug delivery.

NanoMission is a serious game series made by PlayGen for Cientifica in order to teach the player about the world nanotechnology..

It consists in a series of several related games that can be downloaded and run independently of one another. There is no required order of play for the game modules and the player may play them in any order the player wishes. Each module is different and covers different topics related to nanotechnology.

Until now, there are four downloadable modules available, each teaching different concepts related to nanotechnology. The gameplay varies greatly between the different modules in the series offering a wide variety of gameplay.

Nano Medicine: How nanotechnology can be used to help fight disease.

Nano Medicine: Fighting Lung Cancer with Nanoparticles.

Nano Scale: What the nano scale is like from a first person point of view & how it differs from normal scale.

The startup of Ithaca, Orthogonal, is developing materials that will enable organic electronic components using the same type of equipment used to manufacture silicon electronic components, allowing the construction of more complex organic compounds also.

The company has made four prototype devices using new photolithography chemical compounds compatible with organic materials.

In the company’s website we can also find a flash resource that explains the OLEDs operation that may be useful as an educational resource.

One field of application of the technology that more effort is being invested is nanomedicine, and perhaps, within this, therapies to treat cancer.

In the posts entitled “Nanomedicine” and “Magnetic Nanomedicine“, Nano Bugle’s team has placed at your disposal documents that develop basic concepts related to those terms. On this occasion we show you a video entitled “Fighting Cancer with Magnetic Nanoparticles” developed by the spin-off of the Charité Hospital of the Charité–Universitätsmedizin called MagForce Nanotechnologies AG. Video can serve as a practical example and educational supplement to the two presentations above.

This film describes the system developed by MagFroce Nanotechnologies and that it is based on injecting minosilane-coated iron oxide nanoparticles into a tumour that has been located previously. These nanoparticles are given a high-frequency alternating magnetic field, causing them to vibrate and damage or destroy the tumor.

This method can be used as thermoablation method for destroying tumour cells or hyperthermia therapy to facilitate conventional treatments (chemotherapy or radiotherapy).

Some time ago Nano Bugle’s team put at your disposal a presentation in which basic questions of Nanomedicine were developed. This time we completed this presentation with another entitled ‘Magnetic Nanomedicine’, which includes the following contents:

Magnetic nanomaterials: typical uses in biology and medicine

Nanospheres
Nanorods and Nanowires
Nanotubes
Thin Films

Properties Of Magnetic Nanoparticles That Make Them Attractive For Biomedical Applications

Continuing the series of videos presenting the posts “Carbon Nanotubes” and “Production of Carbon Nanotubes“, on this occasion we approached to you the third video in the series entitled “How can see Carbon Nanotubes”, which explains the techniques that are used to visualize carbon nanotubes.

Recently we post an entry entitled ‘Carbon Nanotube’, showing a video explaining the definition and basic concepts of carbon nanotubes. This time we present you the second video in this series, which explains in simple key techniques for the production of carbon nanotubes.

This video explains the definition and basic concepts about carbon nanotubes. Due to the simplicity of the explanations and as illustrative of its uncomplicated accompanying it is a visual resource for use in any stage of education.

This time we show you a video, entitled ‘Video Journey Into Nanotechnology’, from the National Cancer Institute that shows the potential of nanotechnology in cancer treatment, moreover it approach us to the operational dimensions of the nanoscale.

INL – News

New INL researcher Marta Prado

Marta Prado is INL´s latest researcher and has just settled in in Braga. She has an advanced degree in Food Science and Technology and studies in Biology Science from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). Marta has a PhD from the same university in the program of Nutrition, Bromatology and Food technology.

Between the years 1999 and 2006, our new Spanish colleague has been working as a researcher in the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (Lugo, Spain) from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). Between 2006 and 2010, she has been working as Scientific Officer in the Institute of Reference Materials and Measurements from the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-JRC-IRMM) in Geel, Belgium.

Most of her research experience is related with genomic analysis tools and its application to food analysis, since she had worked on the development and optimization of PCR-based methods for the control of food and animal feeds. In the INL, she will work on the application of magnetic nanobiosensors for the detection of ruminant origin meals in feed.